The National tribune., 1887-02-24

ance with its provisions, were hled IN the De-
partment, but, so far as the records show,
20,s55 only were allowed.
On May 10 1925 Congress enlarged the pen
sion provided for by the aforesaid act of March
is, ISIS, TO the full pay Of officers aud soldiers
of the Continental line. This increase largely
benefited the officers.
The next legislation with reference to Revo-
lutionary soldiers service pensions was had in
1852, when, under the act Of June ., Of that
year, full -pay pensions without regard to finan-
cial condition, We're granted TO all, except for
eign officers, who served for two years, and TO
those who served at least six months an amount
proportionate, according to the length of their
service.
From the best information obtainabie there
were, during the recognized period of the war
OF the Revolution april 10 l715, TO April IL,
1885, 900. 99l enlistments This number, how
ever, includes Refreshments and transfers and
therefore does not represent the actual number
of individuals engaged in said war. lt may be
safe 10 say that 700 individuals served at
one period or the other during the war. The
number of invalid pensions granted by the
| General Government on account Of disability
contracted in said war was small, 2,5l3 only
! being on record. This is explained, however,
| by the fact that prior TO March %, l192, the
pensions found to be due 10 an invalid, under
the regulations established by the President,
were paid by the State TO which his services were
credited.
The President takes occasion TO remind Con-
! gress of the fallacy of the estimate made by
the Committee on Invalid Pensions on section
/ , Of the bill under consideration as TO the
probable annual cost of the pensions provided
| therein by referring TO the estimate made by
Mr.. Bloomfield, of New Jersy, Chairman Com
mittee on Revolutionary War Pensions, in De-
cember, lSl7, regarding the probable number OF
bcnelciaries under the bill proposing TO grant
a pension TO the INDECENT survivors of the war
| Of the Revolution.
In jEstice to this committee il may be stated
that while its estimate was largely based upon
official data, and other reasonably reliable in
| formation, the estimate of the Chairman OF the
Committee on Revolutionary Pensions at the
| time referred 10, seems to have no foundation
whatever, except such as his own limited
! knowledge, confined to his own locality, could
! afford.
He based his estimate upon the then to him
known survivors of the officers of the New
Jersey Brigade 20 in number, out OF a total of
! l60 who he states served in said brigade; which
he considered a fair guide rs TO the proportion
| of surviving officers in other States and as he
believed, the whole number of officers during
the war TO have been 2,720, there were then
living 340 one-tenth Of whom, or 81, would ap-
ply for pension. He further estimated the
number of enlisted men in the service at the
close of the war at 1900, one-tenth of whom,
or LOO, he believed were then living He
further believed that one-ffth of that number,
or $40, would try To avail themselves of the PEN
sion provided by the bill, making a total of
officers and enlisted men as probable bene-
fieiaries, 374.
Admitting for sake OF argument, the state
mcnts made by Mr.. Bloomfield that there were
1900 deaths in the army during the war and
that there were only 1900 men in the army
at the close of the war, we fail 10 find in what
manner he accounts for the other 215,19l en-
listments during the war, as shown by official
statistics.
Estimating that by that number only 10000
individual persons are represented, and that
three-fourths of that number rendered during
different periods OF the war the requisite nine
months service under the act, there were lost
sight Of in this so-called estimate, liz, 500 SOL
diers. Following up Mr. Bloomield's calcula-
tion, IL $50 Of that number would have been
alive at the date of his speech, and 1924 would
have been the number of expected applicants
instead Of 374. But were his estimates in any
particular based upon what could then be
deemed sufficient ground therefor? Only 81
years had elapsed since the close of the war.
Presuming that the total individual enlist
ments were only 10000 and that 1900 died
during the war, 14S,00O survived the same.
According to Mr.. BloOmGelds statements, one
tenth only of the survivors were supposed to
be then living. Instead Of 900, as he would
make us believe, there would have been II, 500.
But that he estimated the losses by death at an
entirely too high and unwarrantabe rate is
selfevident. No recognized mortality tables
warrant such an extraordinary calculation. II
the mortality among the $4,000 presumed sur
vivors reached IL per thousand annually for
the first 20 years, we find liz, $50 survivors in
the year 1903, and 20 per thousand for the re-
naming IL years, S099i would have been the
J number Of survivors in the year of Mr.. Bloom
fields remarkable estimate Of 37I. This esti-
] i'm xuif iza1 hnr ias
on the subject, and borne out by the fact that
J as heretofore stated, - 297 Of the soldiers OF
: that war presented themselves before the courts
, of their respective counties under the act OF
) ISIS, 1900 under the act Of 1928, and 80 20o
under the act of 1892.
, This committee does not desire TO question
: Mr.. Bloomfelds honesty of purpose in his ex'
PLANTATION Of the cost of his bill. He evidently
had overlooked the fact that the bill would
l benefit large number OF eX-soldiers whose
7 term Of service had expired before peace was
. declared. Again, the facilities for making esti
2 mates in a matter, under the most favorable
: circumstances necessarily involved in more OF
: less doubt, were not of the character afforded
7 the legislator of to-day. The country was il
0 its infancy. The stage-coach was the only
r means of travel, the post the only means o
D communication. Either was expensive anC
S tedious, and little calculated 20 promote inter
: course and communication with persons liyinj
ln Teinolc pidcos OF cOuSlucfaDlc distance
2 Soldiers Reunions of to-day would have beer
: an impossibility, while 4th Of July gatherings
= 10 which Mr.. Bloomfield referred, were necessa
q rily limited TO those who lived within a dis
a lance Of few miles.
n The young soldier Of the Revolution VIII
= left his home in the East to seek his fortune il
IS the then hardly known western part of tn
IS country, was soon lost sight Of by his formc
Q comrades This undoubtedly was the cas-
d with thousands. To-day the railroad the tele
@ graph and the cheap mail reach nearly ever,
i neighborhOOd throughout the United States
n affording facilities for intercourse and com
IS munication. not only cheap but rapid. Tn
is New England soldier who since tho close of tn
is late war has settled in the far West is enables
70 h. attend the Reunion of his old regiment il
his native town without much expense or los
d of time. The present whereabouts of nearly
IS all the survivors Of the Of the rebellion AT
n known TO the Government.
u Without any desire TO discuss the relativ
N distinctiveness Of the act Of 1878 and the bill
under consideration, il is evident that tn
former was not subjected to that strict interpre
!, tation that pension laws at this date receive
s. the hands Of the proper authorities or woul
Of have been subjected 10 had the power 10 dc
n termine the merits of each individual cas-
A. been placed in the Government instead of tn
he local court officers. IL is true that under tn
1r provisions of the act of 1918 claimants wer
as not required TO prove total inability 10 pro
ne cure their subsistence by daily labor" in add
III tiOn TO their dependence upon such labor f.
10 their support, but that even under the MOI
Iy liberal provisions of that act, many thrOup